USCA is preparing to kick off its new academic year with the return of a downtown party.
The marketing arm of downtown Aiken businesses is providing an extra push, while students will soak up good times and good job opportunities.
The second annual Downtown Takedown is set for August 22 from 5-9 p.m. Aug. 22 on Newberry Street in Downtown Aiken. The event is co-sponsored by USCA and the Aiken Downtown Development Association.
“The hope was that our students, our faculty, our staff, along with our community, could come together and celebrate the start of the semester at USC Aiken, recognizing that a lot of the success of the university and our students, faculty, and staff alike are tied to our community and what our community does for us and how we support the community as well,” Dr. Jamel Hodges, Dean of Students, Student Affairs, explained for ABD.
The Pacer Pride event will be family-friendly and will include live music, food trucks, bouncy houses, and face painting.
However, it will also provide the opportunity for new and returning students to become familiar with potential employment and internships with local businesses.
“Our students do add a lot of value to our community. But at the same time, it’s only because of the opportunities that the city of Aiken provides us and provides our students as well that they’re able to participate and take advantage of those opportunities,” said Hodges.
USCA is also a hub for workforce training and development programs. Students at the university are studying in some of the most in-demand fields for local employers. The campus has added the Advanced Manufacturing cooperative, which will soon be joined by the National Guard Readiness Center and Cybersecurity Training Facility.
“Over the last few years, we have seen a lot of advancement on the engineering side with the partnerships that we’ve created with the Department of Energy and the cybersecurity and computer science realm as well,” observed Hodges. “We have the National Guard Readiness Center and Cybersecurity Training Facility that is coming soon. So as our programs become more robust, and to be able to pair our students with internships and things like that to ensure that when they graduate, they are job-ready.”
This year’s Downtown Takeover is also an opportunity to recognize three major anniversaries at USCA, not the least of which is the creation of the campus itself.
This marks the 65th anniversary of the beginning of what was called Aiken College, a two-year branch of the University of South Carolina.
“When we think about all the ways in which our university has served as a resource for the community, and also how much the university has benefited from the community at the same time, that’s a testament to our relationship with the community and how we were able to make it these 65 years,” said Hodges. “So, to get where we are right now is really a testament to that relationship that we have with the community and keeping USCA viable.”
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Gregg-Graniteville Library. It has been at the heart of academic life on campus, supporting students as well as faculty and researchers.
It is also the 40th Anniversary of the university’s Cultural Series, which has brought internationally acclaimed performers, artists, and speakers to the Aiken community.
